Josh Hartnett says he quit Hollywood because he didn't like the social scene

Josh Hartnett has said he quit Hollywood because he didn't enjoy "hobnobbing" with people he didn't care about.

The 43-year-old actor rose to fame as a teen in films including The Faculty and Halloween H2O and went on to star opposite Kate Beckinsale in Michael Bay's critically panned war movie Pearl Harbour.

Shortly after that he retreated from the spotlight, and while he continued to act in movies, he moved back home to Minnesota to spend time with friends and family.

Read more: Josh Hartnett says 'I didn't want to be considered the worst actor in the world'

Hartnett told news.com.au: "I didn’t think that was crazy – I still don’t. It’s an industry that thrives on hype and thrives on what’s interesting at that moment, but I wouldn’t put myself back in that situation, ever.

“At that point in my life, when I was so young and just trying to form my own personality, I just felt it was too much, honestly.

“I was happy to be going to work and making films, and coming home and hanging out with people who I knew cared about me, instead of, you know … hobnobbing.”

He added: “If I were to have sort of stuck in that Hollywood game, I think I would have been played out pretty quickly. I think people would have gotten pretty sick of me. I’m happy to be making films, 20-something years later.”

Hartnett - who stars opposite Melissa Leo in new crime drama Ida Red - revealed his Hollywood career could have been very different as he turned down a part in Ang Lee's multi-award winning gay love story Brokeback Mountain.

He said: "Unfortunately, I was going to do Brokeback Mountain. And I had a contract with [2006 film] Black Dahlia that I had to film, so I had to drop out of it.

“It was a different film altogether, it was me and Joaquin Phoenix. But they went on to do it with Heath [Ledger] and Jake [Gyllenhaal].”

He added: “I’ve always wanted to kiss Joaquin, so that’s my biggest regret."

Read more: Josh Hartnett recalls turning down Superman

The teen heartthrob dated co-stars Julia Stiles and Scarlett Johansson back in the early 00s.

He has been in a relationship with British actor Tamsin Egerton, 33, since 2012 and they have three children together.

Watch: Josh Hartnett in new action drama Ida Red